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Here we are in the year 2009. The first week of the year has proved to be a little rough for us. Both Hannah and I had the stomach flu last week on New Year’s Eve. Needless to say, there wasn’t much celebrating going on here. Now, as I write this, Jon has the stomach flu. He told me last week when Hannah and I were sick that he wanted to get the stomach flu on Monday (the 5th), so he could have another day off of school. Well, the kid got his wish. Poor thing! This week we are concentrating on getting back into the groove.

Cheryl, over at GF Goodness, is hosting this week’s GF Menu Swap. The theme this week is soup. I don’t think I have ever made soup before, so it is a huge coincidence that I have Crockpot Taco Soup on my menu for the week! Don’t forget to check out Org Junkie for some other great menu ideas.

It is here! Thanksgiving week! I love Thanksgiving and all things pumpkin & turkey. 🙂 I love spending time with my family and shopping on Black Friday. For the big meal, I have some family contributing sides like Catholic Potatoes, a wonderful mashed potato casserole with cream cheese and cheddar cheese, it really is heaven in a pyrex dish; Sweet Potato Casserole; Creamed Peas; and last, but not least, the non-GF pies, that way I don’t have to gluten up my kitchen with flour for the pie crusts. Truth be told, I was not much of a pie crust maker before I went gluten-free, I don’t see myself making them now, especially if they contain gluten! For gluten-free pie crusts, I use Whole Foods Gluten-Free Bakehouse frozen crusts. They are excellent and even picky family members can’t tell they are GF! Best of all, they are EASY!

The days leading up to Turkey Day are very busy here. We have parent/teacher conferences tonight for Hannah, hockey scrimmage for Jon tonight, family get together tomorrow night at the inlaws, hockey practice on Wednesday…ACK! Somewhere in there, along with my normal daily routine, I need to find time to bake! So, my menu leading up to the big day this week is very simple. Nothing complicated for a couple of reasons…time and oh yeah, I have a 20 lb turkey defrosting in my fridge that is taking up a bunch of space! LOL!

Sunday ~ Pei Wei…we used the rest of a gift card after putting up the Christmas Tree (yes, I know, I am crazy)

This week Book of Yum is hosting the Gluten-Free Menu Swap. The ingredient of the week is Sweet Potato, how appropriate! I am using sweet potatoes for our hash browns on Tuesday night, the kids love them like this! Thanks for hosting! Also, don’t forget to check out Org Junkie for lots of menu plans.

I feel like the fog has been lifted. Maybe that has something to do with the fact that I finally ditched the painkillers that I was on last week. 😉 I have to say that when my dr first told me that I would be out of work for 5 days and still not feeling well for 10, I kinda laughed. I mean come on, I am in good shape, go to the gym 6 days a week…I should heal fast. Well, I shouldn’t have been so quick to laugh b/c today is day 11 post-surgery and the first day that I feel close to “normal”. So, I am bright-eyed and busy tailed, ready to start the week out with a clean bill of health and a new energy.

The Holiday season is among us. I went to Wal-Mart on Friday night after dropping Jon off at hockey and on the way I heard Christmas carols on the radio. It was November 7th. I think that is a record for the earliest I have ever heard Christmas carols on the radio. Sure, there are Christmas trees up in the stores and there have been for weeks, but the carols, already? Come on! I love, love, love my Christmas carols, but if they start playing them so early, I will be really sick of them come December 25th. I guess that means it is time to break out one of my all-time favorite Chirstmas movies, Elf. “Smiling’s my favorite!” Okay, enough about Holidays, on with the menu!

Baked Goods
I am excited to get back into baking this week. I hope to start baking for the Holidays soon and freeze some things.
Hot Soft Pretzels (Miss Roben’s Mix)
Bagels (Pamela’s Mix)
Bread (Pamela’s Mix)
Chocolate Chip Cookies
Brownies (Mix…I have several to try out)
Maybe a coffee cake, if the spirit moves me

Phew….I am ready for a nap! Just kidding. 🙂 I am so happy to have my energy back!

Don’t forgot to check out Gluten-Free Goodness and Cheryl’s menu plan. Cheryl chose pomegranates as the ingredient of the week. I just bought my first one today! YAY! Now I need to figure out what to do with it. 😉 Also, head over to Org Junkie for lots of other menu plans.

Wow. I can’t believe that it is already Sunday night. Time really does fly. It seems like I just did my menu plan for last week. This week is going to be crazy, just as last week was. I have so much going on. I didn’t get half of what I wanted to get baked last week done, so I have moved some of it to this week. I am trying to concentrate on using stuff I have in the house and only buying fresh fruits, milk, eggs & veggies. Well, the $100 I spent at the grocery store today shows that I didn’t do as well as I had hoped! LOL! I really should stay out of the store when I am hungry.